AWCON 2022: Super Falcons, Banyana in clash of titanesses in Rabat

Nigeria and South Africa will on Monday have another day in the sun as the Super Falcons and Banyana Banyana go to war for three points, in the opening game of Group C of the 12th Women Africa Cup of Nations which began in Morocco on Saturday. 

Nine times champions and FIFA World Cup ever present Nigeria have not forgotten how, 10 months ago and on home soil, the youthful Banyana squad ran away as spectacular 4-2 winners in the final match of the first edition of Aisha Buhari Women’s Tournament. Venue was the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos. 

Since then, however, the Falcons have flown with formidable wings, eliminating West African arch-rivals Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire in the qualifying series for the WAFCON and coming close to stripping the ‘A’ Women Team of Canada in the second of a two-match tour in that country three months ago. 

In Saturday’s opening match, Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses pipped Burkina Faso 1-0 to surge to the top of Group A. 

There are four teams in each of the three groups of the 12-team finals, with the top two teams in each of the groups and two best third-placed teams proceeding to the quarter finals. 

All the four semi-finalists will represent Africa at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, with the fifth-placed team to be eligible for a Playoff Tournament that will hold next year.